The Commonwealth Bank makes banking easier for new Australians

26 March 2007

New residents to Australia can now tick banking off their list of ‘things to do’ before they have even arrived in the country with the introduction of Commonwealth Bank International Customer Services.

Moving to a new country is a big decision and the Commonwealth Bank understands that organising something as simple as a bank account shouldn’t be a hassle - especially when there are so many other things to worry about.

With more than 50% of Australia's population growth generated by immigration and approximately one in four Australians born overseas, the goal of Commonwealth Bank International Customer Services is simple - to provide our existing customers and the wider community with a professional and reliable international banking service they can recommend to relatives and friends moving to or doing business Australia."

Operations Manager Katrina Le migrated from Vietnam as a teenager and is one of the Vietnamese speaking staff members on the International Customer Services team.

"We help new residents organise their banking arrangements before they have even left home," Katrina said.

"Our professional team of multi-lingual sales and service representatives make the process an easy one. They can arrange for a transaction account and a debit card and they can also provide information on the Bank’s wider range of products and services."

Team member Tjipta Prawiradirja has been in Australia for almost two years and previously worked for the Bank’s partner operation in Indonesia. He helped bring this new service to life and is amazed at how quickly it has taken off.

"The team is already helping thousands of new residents every week with their banking needs. Many have trouble speaking English so our service is extremely helpful to them," he said.

"What’s more, we provide a single contact point at the Bank and our customers are kept informed on the progress of their application every step of the way, no matter where they are in the world."

Irshad Ahmed is one the Hindi and Arabic speaking representatives in the team and said he can relate to the difficulties of moving to a new country.

"I migrated to Australia from Dubai about five years ago. While moving is an exciting time, it’s also very emotional. It would have been great to have family and friends already based in Australia to give me some guidance and being able to open an account before arriving would have been really helpful," Irshad said.

The Commonwealth Bank International Customer Services team can also assist customers with their banking needs in selected overseas countries. For example, opening accounts at some of the Bank’s international partner businesses like ASB Bank in New Zealand, PT Bank Commonwealth in Indonesia, or Colonial National Bank in Fiji.

To get in touch with Commonwealth Bank International Customer Services team: